Interviews

Stockdale: I used to clean Potter's boots

Former keeper hoping to be a Wembley hero this weekend.

By Charlie Hanson • 20 May 2022

By Prime Media Images
David Stockdale will be aiming for his fourth EFL promotion this weekend.

David Stockdale will be aiming to add another promotion medal to his tally this Saturday when his Wycombe Wanderers side take on Sunderland at Wembley.

The 36-year-old has gone onto have a successful career in the EFL, but had humble beginnings with York City, where he came across Albion head coach Graham Potter.

“I was on a YTS [Youth Trainee Scheme] when Graham was at York and I had to clean his boots sometimes!

“When I do see him we share a couple of memories about those times, it’s funny how these things can be.”

By Prime Media Images
The 36-year-old won the League One Golden Glove award, as he kept a league high 19 clean sheets.

Having gone up with Albion in 2017, as well as Hull City and Wycombe, the 36-year-old could land a fourth promotion medal in the League One play-off final.  

“It’s exciting. It’s hard because we’ve had to wait two weeks until the game, so I’ve just been try to prepare as normal – the excitement is only building now. But we’re ready, there’s a real chance for us to win promotion, there are a lot of teams in our division who would want to swap places with us, so we should be excited.

“I was on the bench for Wycombe when we won promotion [in 2020]. So I am looking forward to hopefully starting this time and it’s brilliant knowing the supporters will be at Wembley for this one, both teams will have a lot of fans there, it’s going to be a great occasion.

“Hopefully we can turn up and do our job and go home happy.”

The Chairboys head into the fixture having enjoyed an unbeaten run of 12 League One games, before beating MK Dons over two legs in the play-off semi-finals.

Stockdale though says Saturday’s opponents Sunderland will be just as confident after a good run to the final.

“It’s a one-off game, anything can happen. They’re in good form as well, it’s going to be two heads butting together and something has got to give.

By Prime Media Images
David Stockdale has made nearly 500 career appearances, turning out for the likes of Darlington, Fulham and of course, Albion.

“It’s going to have a cup final atmosphere and it depends who turns up on the day.

“We’ve got our own style though and we make no apologies for that. We came up against a good MK Dons side in the semi-finals and we had to find a way to win. Over the two legs we did that.

“We don’t care if people call us direct, you’ve got be the master of your own style, people play the game differently, but we’re happy with what we do.”